Backpacking Through Europe

DONE BY: Aeshna Chandra | Milton Academy '16, Columbia University '21

HOW OPPORTUNITY WAS FOUND: Decided to go on the trip after talking with a former classmate (also on a gap year at the time) from high school 

LENGTH: 4 weeks       

LOCATION: (In order of travel) 

  • Madrid, Spain
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Bordeaux, France
  • Paris, France
  • Wengen, Switzerland
  • Zermatt, Switzerland
  • Venice, Italy
  • Florence, Italy
  • Rome, Italy

DAY-TO-DAY LIFE: 

  • 10:00am: Wake up
  • 10:00am~1:00pm: Sight see/go to museums/just walk around
  • 1:00pm~2:00pm: Lunch
  • 2:00pm~9:00pm: Sight see/go to museums/just walk around
  • 9:00pm~ : Dinner & meet up and go out with people from other hostels 

TYPES OF ACTIVITIES DONE:

Sight seeing, visiting museums, walking around cities, hiking 

FUN: ★★★★☆

PERSONAL GROWTH: ★★★★★

TOP 3 TIPS FOR SOMEONE CONSIDERING THIS EXPERIENCE: 

  1. Try to book Airbnbs/hostels at least a couple months in advance, especially during the summer
  2. Consider staying at each place for longer than 3-4 days (personally would WWOOF at a place for an extended period of time) 
  3. Solicit different opinions (both positive and negative) from others who have gone backpacking through Europe 

MOST MEANINGFUL LESSON TAKEN AWAY:

  • It's not that fulfilling to just jump around from place to place. 
  • There are SO many people in the world who have "succeeded" in some form--so don't pressure yourself to follow the norm. 

 

 

Jiyoung Jeong